Stave-making machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Modl') W. L.l KELLOGG.

STAVE MAKING MAHINL atented Mar. 19, 1889.

v`iTnn dTaTns PaTnnT Tricia.

WILLIAM L. KELLOGG, OF MOUND CITY, ILLINOIS.

STAVEMIWKHNG MACHHNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,670, dated March 19, 1889. Application led September 29, 1888. Serial No. 286.769. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may cancern.:

Be it known'that I, WTLLIAM L. KnLLoee, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mound City, in the county of Pulaski and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stave-llaking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In the manufacture of staves for liquor kegs, barrels, &c.,which are preferably formed with thick ends and hollowed out in the middle to a point near each end, it has been usual to employ two or three separate machines in working down the rough block to the finished stave.

The object of my said invention is to provide a single machine adapted to receive the rough block as it comes from the yard and work `it down to a finished stave by a single operation, and also one which will turn out the st-aves in the most perfect and desired form for use, as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar'letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure l is a perspective view of a machine embodying my said invention; Fig. 2, a view of the rear side of the said machine in elevation; Fig. 3, a longitudinal central section through the same, looking at the parts from the front of the machine; and Fig. e, a detail sectional view on the dotted line e e in Fig. 3.

In said drawings the portions marked A represent the frame-work of the machine; B B B2, the bed-plate thereof; C, the cutter-head for dressing the under side of the stave; C C2 C3, the cutter-heads for dressing the top or inner surface; D,an endless feeding-apron; E, a shaft carrying a line of gearing suitably arranged to connect with and operate the several parts of this machine; F, a power-belt for driving the same; G G2 G3, a series oi' dead rolls arranged to hold and guide the staves during their passage through the machine, and GLL G5 live rolls forfeeding and guiding the staves under the last cutter-head and out of the machine.

` ,The frame-work A is any suitable framework for supporting and carrying the various parts and gearing of the machine, being provided with suitable bearings for the several shafts, as shown.

The main portion B of the bed-plate, or that portion from the cutter-head C to the incline, is formed with a concave surface which corresponds substantially with the shape of the stave when finished. At a point substan tially beneath the finishing cutterhead a notch, l), is formed, into which the end of the stave drops when it should leave the knife, as will be hereinafter more particularly described. .I ust in front of the said notch the bed-plate is extended out into an upwardlyinclined part, B, also formed concave in cross! section. This portion starts with an abrupt incline, formed, preferably, by a roller, b', so j ournaled and arranged as to project up through and in effect operate as a part of the bedplate, and serves to elevate the stave against the cutter-head C3. From the top of the roll said part B is inclined upwardly with the degree of incline necessary to hold the stave in the desired position in relation to said cutter-head C3, the pitch being somewhat abrupt at. the extreme end to allow the other end of the stave to drop into the notch b. The portion B2 of the bedplate extends from the cutter-head C to the rear end of the machine, it being that portion which first receives the block. This portion is formed with a convex upper surface, instead of concave, in order that the block may be more readily adjusted in exactly the position in relation to the cutter-heads which will best suit its grain, surface,or any other peculiar conditions, and produce the best quality of manufacture which it is possible to obtain. Said portion is also adj ustably mounted by means of short arms, b2, pivoted to the sides thereof and to the sides of the frame-work,a handle, h3, being secured to one side and extended out through a curved slot in the side of said frame-work for adjusting'said table back and forth to bring the block to the desired elevation in relation to the cutter-head C.

The cutter-head C is mounted upon a suitable shaft journaled in appropriate bearings IOO the degree of curvature being that at which it is desired to form the stave.

The cutter-heads C', C2, and C3 are arranged on a shaft, C4, which is journaled in suitable bearings formed in the brackets c, secured above the bed-plate at cach end thereof. The cutter-head C is of a smaller diameter than C2, it being the first to operate upon the top of the stave and take oif the first thickness. The head C2 is arranged to follow the head C and cut the block down to the thickness which it is desired the stave shall have at its ends. The head C3 is mounted so that the block will not come in contact therewith until it has been raised by the abrupt incline or roller h, and is arranged substantially that distance behind said portion which is equal to the length of the partof the stave which it is desired to leave thick. Itis also slightly in advance of the notch Z7 in the bed-plate, so that the end of the stave will drop away therefrom before the end is reached, and leave a thick portion of the desired length.

The endless apron D consists of chain belts mounted on sprocket-wheels d, which are mounted on suitable shafts journaled in the frame-work, one of which extends out and is provided with a suitable gear-wheel which is connected to the driving-power. They carry at suitable intervals cross-bars D', which are formed with points on their front surfaces to engage with the end of the stave-block. Said cross-bars are preferably formed in the shape of angle-irons and pivoted near the front corners of the horizontal portion in suitable bearings on the chain belts7 and behind said pivots are formed with outwardlyprojecting arms d', adapted to engage with grooves or ways a, formed in the sides of the frame while they are traveling forward, and thus maintain said cross-bars, which serve the purpose of dogs, in an upright position while in use. When they reach the front of the bed-plate B2, they leave said ways and are carried around, under, and to the rear of said part, when they again engage with said ways by passing up through suitable notches, ct, communicating therewith, as will be readily understood.

The shaft E an d the line of gearing which it carries are driven from any convenient power by the belt F, and are of a common and wellknown construction.

The rolls G G G2 GiE are arranged to hold the stave down to the bed-plate during its passage through the machine, being j ourn aled in spring-mounted bearings in suitably-arranged posts along the sides of the frame A. The posts in which the bearings for the roll G3 are mounted are also preferably secured in longitudinal slots, as indicated in Fig. 1, and the adjustment of said roll longitudinally of the machine thus provided for, which is desirable when a change is made from blocks of one length to those of another, as it is intended that this roll shall bear upon and lirmly clamp the rear end of the block to the bed-plate at the time when the cutter-head O3 commences to operate upon its other end.

The rolls G4 and G5 are driven by means of cog gear-wheels on one end of their journals, which mesh with a chain of gearing driven from the shaft E, as will be presently described. The roll G4 operates to hold the stave down and feed it forward to the finishing cutter-head C3, and the roll G5 operates to steady and hold down the end of the stave as it comes through and at the same time carry it up over the incline B and out of the machine. Said rolls G4 and G5 are also journaled in spring-mounted bearings, as are the other rolls just described.

The arrangement and operation of the gearing for driving the various parts of this machine are very simple, and may of course be varied as found desirable without departing from my invention. In the arrangement shown the shaft E, as before described, is

`driven from any convenient power through the belt F. The feeding-apron D is driven from said shaft E through the belt 1, which passes over the band-pulley 2, mounted on a short shaft journaled in suitable bearings in the side of the frame, and connected by a chain of gearing to the cog-Wheel 3 on the end of the front shaft of said feeding-apron. rlhe shaft carrying the cutter-head C is driven from said shaft E through the belt 4, which engages with the pulley 5 on the countershaft 6 at the front of the machine, which is geared to said shaft of the cutter-head `C by two belts, 7, running over suitable pulleys on said shafts, one being arranged on each side of the machine. The shaft or mandrel C4, on which the cutter-heads C', C2, and C3 are mounted, is driven from the shaft Ebya belt, S, which engages with the bandpulley 9 thereon, and the rolls b and G4 and G5 are driven from said shaft E by the belt 10, which engages with the pulley 11, mounted on a short shaft journaled in the frame A, which is provided with a cog gear-wheel, 12, which meshes with the cog gear-wheel 13 on the shaft of the roll G4, and through a connecting gear-wheel, 14, drives the gear-wheel 15 on the shaft of the roll b', which in turn meshes with and drives the gear-wheel 16 on the shaft of the roll G5, the direction in which the several wheels and rolls are driven being indicated by arrows.

The operation of my said invention is as follows: The rough stave-block as it comes from the yard is placed upon the adjustable bed-plate B2 at the rear end of the machine in front of one of the cross-bars D', the points on the front side of which engage with its rear end and force it forward under the rolls G and G and against the cutter-head @,which operates to dress its under side in the manner desired, the adjustable bed-plate B2 being of course iirst adjusted to a height to suit the thickness and conditions of the surface of the stave-block. The block is then fed forward, the cutter-head C operating to take off lroo IIO

between it and the bed-plate will be greater a portion of its upper surface, and the cutterhead' C2 being arranged to take off the remainder of the surplus thickness, the block after it leaves said head being of the thickness which it is desired that the finished stave shall be at its ends, and also of the curvature in cross-section desired. The stave is then carried forward under the rolls G3 and G4, which feed it forward under the cutterhead C3, which is arranged so that the space than the thickness of the stave, and thus the end of the stave passes under said cutterhead until it strikes the roller b', which elevates it abruptly to within reach of said cutter-head, which thus commences to operate thereon the desired distance from its end. After the abruptincline or roll b has elevated the end until the cutter-head is taking the depth of cut desired the gradual incline operates to maintain the stave in the desired relative position to said cutter-head- Cs until its end has passed to the notch b, formed in the bed-plate, into which it drops out of reach of thc cutter-head in time to leave the desired length of the end thick, as before described, while its center is cut out evenly to a point exactly the same distance from each end, and the shoulder at each end is formed con cave-a shape which will allow the stave to spring up to or even into said shoulders, and at the same time contain no surplus wood. A stave is thus formed which will bend uniformly from end to end, and one which, by reason of its substantially7 equal thickness throughout all corresponding portions of its length and its concave shoulders, will not break while being made into the manufacture for which they are intended. The labor required to operate the usual machines for dressing down the staves before being put through the iinishing-machine is also saved, and a very complete and perfect machine for the purpose thus provided.

In Fig. 3 the different forms of the block during the different steps of the process are illustrated. At the rear is shown a block which has passed partly through between the cutter-heads C, C', and C2. In front of this is a block that has been dressed on its rear side by said head C, and on its inner side by said heads C and C2 to the form and thickness desired, and has passed to the position it occupies j ust before being forced up into contact with the head C:E by the abrupt incline or roller b', and the form of the stave, after passing un der said head C3, is indicated i in dotted lines, it being ready to be jointed and made into the manufacture.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for manufacturing staves, the combination of the frame-work, a longitudinal shaft arranged above said frame-work and carrying a cutter-head, a bed-plate, formed with a notch beneath said cutter-head, into which the rear end of the stave may fall as it leaves said cutter-head, and an inclined end for guiding said stave out of the machine, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a machine for dressing staves, of the frame, the cutter-head arranged to operate transversely of said bedplate', and said bed-plate formed with a short abruptincline in front of said cutter-head, and a longer incline terminating in another abrupt incline beyond said short inclines, substantially as set forth.

3. In a stave-dressing machine, the combination of the frame-work, abcd-plate mounted thereon formed with a notch, into which the rear end of the stave may drop as it leaves the cutter-head, an upwardly-inclined end beyond said notch, and a cutter mounted above and arranged to operate transversely of said bed-plate and above said notch, substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

4. In a machine for dressing staves, the combination of the frame, a shaft journaled above said frame and extending longitudinally thereof, a series of cutter-heads thereon arranged to cut to different depths, and suitable feeding and driving mechanism, substantially as set forth.

5. In a machin e for dressing staves, the conibination of the frame, the bed-plate for guiding the staves, a cutter-head formed to dress one side of said stave, mounted beneath said bed-plate, a series of cutter-heads arranged to cut into the block different depths for dressing the other side of said stave mounted above said bed-plate, and an adjustable table for receiving the staveblocks and suitable mechanism for carrying them forward, substantif lly as set forth.

ln witness whereof l have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 22d day of September, A. D. 1888.

WILLIAM L. KELLOGG. [n s] Witnesses:

E. W. BRADFORD, C. W. H. BROWN.

IOO 

